15 Things To Know About Rene Descartes

by A.E. Albert

@aealbert23

My novel, The Time Sphere, takes place in various settings in history and the reader meets many figures in time. Rene Descartes was a man who greatly contributed to the world. His works are still read and studied even today.

1. Descartes (1596–1650) was a philosopher, mathematician, writer and trained lawyer. He is considered to be the father of modern philosophy.
2. Although he was french, he spent most of his life in the Dutch Republic and died in Stockholm, Sweden.
3. Descartes promoted science being built on observation and experiment.
4. Methodical doubt- Knowledge from authority, empirical senses, and reason are cast away. Then using intuition, create a new framework of thinking.
5. Mind/body dualism- to distinguish between the mind and body. Both exist as separate entities, but require each other for existence.
6. ‘I think therefore I am.’- The belief our very thinking proves our existence.
7. He wrote the Principles of Philosophy.
8. He created the principles of inertia.
9. He taught Princess Elsabeth of Bohemia and Princess Christina of Sweden.
10. He never got out of bed before 11am.
11. 
    
12. At the age of 8, he entered college and stayed for 8 years.
13. He never married.
14. The pope banned his works from the Catholic Church.
15. In 1981, an asteroid was named in his honor, 3587 Descartes.

About A.E. Albert